Shrewsbury Town's difficult start to the League Two season continued with a heavy defeat at Rochdale, while the club also moved to bolster its squad with a new signing. The Shropshire Star published player ratings from the 3-0 loss, and the club's own media team conducted the first interview with new arrival Lino Sousa.
Shrewsbury currently sit 22nd in the table with just three points from four games, having scored only two goals while conceding eight. They are already six points behind the early leaders, Bristol Rovers, as they look to improve their form.
According to the Shropshire Star's post-match assessment, no Shrewsbury player earned a rating higher than six in the 3-0 loss. The outlet described a collective off-night where individual errors proved costly against a dominant Rochdale side.
Defender Josh Ruffels was given a four after a mis-clearance led directly to a goal, repeating an error from the previous week before he was forced off injured at half-time. Isaac Fletcher also received a four for struggling to influence the game from the number ten role. Captain Will Boyle was marked a six on his birthday, with the report noting he saw a big chance well saved but couldn't replicate recent heroics.
In his first interview with the Shrewsbury Town FC media team, loan signing Lino Sousa discussed his move from Aston Villa this week. The 21-year-old wing-back, who can operate on either flank, expressed his hopes for the season ahead at his new club.
Sousa brings experience from previous loan spells at Plymouth, Bristol Rovers, and Rotherham. He also talked about his youth international career, having represented England from Under-15 through to Under-19 level, and his previous moves from Arsenal to Villa in 2024. His arrival followed that of Kian McMahon-Brown from Burnley earlier the same day.
ESPN's match report confirmed the final score as Rochdale 3-0 Shrewsbury from the League Two fixture on September 1. The goalscorers were Babajide Adeeko in the 33rd minute, Luke Hannant in the 43rd, and Jon Smith in the 80th minute to seal the victory.
Match statistics from ESPN showed Rochdale dominated possession with 65% and were more clinical with their chances. Shrewsbury managed more total shots but only five were on target compared to Rochdale's three, all of which found the net. You can review the team's full schedule and recent results on our fixtures page.
The result leaves Shrewsbury with a concerning record of one win and three losses from their opening four matches. Their negative six goal difference is among the poorest in the division at this early stage.
Manager Paul Hurst now has to integrate new signings like Sousa quickly to turn around the team's fortunes. The squad's current depth and form can be tracked via our squad and standings pages. Their next opportunity to get points on the board comes this weekend as they look to climb from 22nd position.
